6th body found in Leyte landslide area

TACLOBAN CITY—Searchers on Sunday night recovered a sixth body from the landslide-hit area inside the Energy Development Corp. (EDC) complex in Kananga town in Leyte.

The decomposing body of worker Marlon Boanghog was dug out manually at 8:10 p.m. amid bad weather several hours after it was located, Kananga Mayor Elmer Codilla said in an interview on Monday. It was buried by debris at least four meters deep with one foot pinned down by a rock.

Boanghog, a native of Barangay Aguiting in Kananga, was one of the nine workers of JE Arradaza, a subcontractor of EDC project contractor First Balfour, who were declared missing after a landslide occurred in Upper Mahiao, Barangay Lim-ao, 10 kilometers away from the town proper, on March 1.

Still missing were Abelardo Permanghel, Uldarico Taboranza, Salvador Yabana, Jorden Salcedo, Romeo Yazar, Salvador Lascañas, Jr., Alfredo Arabis and Danilo Mabatis.

Rescuers earlier found the bodies of five workers—Bonifacio Polinio, Edgardo Cabarsi Sr., Belly Abella, Joel Milay and Etchield de la Austria.

Codilla said the body of Boanghog was brought to Kananga Municipal Hospital where it was identified by his wife.

“She was able to identify him through his belt and the casing of his mobile phone,” the mayor said.

The body was brought to Saint Peter’s Funeral Home in Ormoc City and later to the worker’s house in Aguiting.

Codilla said members of the safety and rescue group of EDC, the city government of Ormoc and the Army’s 19th Infantry Battalion would continue retrieval operations until all the missing workers are found. Joey Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas